Varsity employees on strike till Monday

AURANGABAD: Employees and non-teaching staff of the Dr BabasahebAmbedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) on Thursday evening resorted to pen-down agitation after some students allegedly manhandled staff at the office of the registrar.

Dhanraj Mane, the university's registrar, alleged that Prakash Ingle, vice president of Samyek Vidyarthi Andolan manhandled his personal assistant and other clerical staff. Ingle, however denied that he had manhandled the university staff. He said he had gone to the registrar's office to demand that B N Kurhade, head of the department of Pali and Buddhism, to join his duties.

"I have not manhandled any employee of the university or resorted to violent means. The registrar himself showed high handedness," Ingle said.

Kurhade's suspension was revoked by the university administration on Wednesday after the Republican Students' Federation of India (RSFI) staged demonstrations demanding that authorities revoke his suspension.

"He was suspended after he was allegedly found to have assessed answer papers of his daughter, a student at the department. He also allegedly acted as guide to his wife to complete her M Phil," Mane said. But Ingle said all these allegations against Kurhade were false.

"The university staff has announced a strike till Monday. The staff will not resume the work unless provisions for their security are made," said Kailas Pathrikar, director of Board of Extra Mural Studies.

The permanent as well as contractual basis staff members have called the strike. "The workers do not feel safe to work on the premises due to repeated incidents of students' organizations resorting to violent means for their demands," said Pathrikar.

Earlier, another incident of manhandling of the vice chancellor had taken place in December 2012. This is the fourth incident in the current academic year where administrative authorities have experienced such violent protests.

"I was busy in a meeting with guests when Ingle barged into the cabin. He was asked to wait outside till the meeting was over finished and give a written request to address the demand," said Mane.

Mane said that he did not hold the administrative rights regarding appointment of an employee. The written application would be forwarded to the higher authority for further action. Ingle said that written requests have been made earlier and he had approached the registrar to discuss the issue.

"The surveillance camera footage installed can provide evidence of any misbehavior," Ingle added. Mane told the press that the camera in his cabin was switched off and the footage from the one installed in the personal assistant's cabin has not been found in the system.